Variable refrigerant volume (VRV) air-conditioning systems work by circulating refrigerant rather than chilled water. By varying the volume of refrigerant within the system to match the building’s requirements, conditions within each area of the building can be controlled independently. This offers greater flexibility throughout the building, and also saves money and reduces carbon emissions by using only the minimum level of energy required.
VRV systems are suitable for any size of building, particularly medium-to-large commercial spaces. Innovations over the past few years have led VRV also to be considered for larger buildings. The systems can be installed in almost any environment where outdoor ambient temperatures are between -20°C and 46°C (in cooling mode) and -25°C and 15.5°C (in heating mode), or higher if using heat recovery technology. VRV systems are regularly installed in offices, hotels, restaurants and bars, leisure centres, healthcare environments, shops and public buildings.
From the economical perspective, VRV/VRF system is the most advanced technologies available in market today. A typical example can be illustrated
from the following simple analysis of a 12HP (10 Ton) VRV/VRF System.
FIXED SPEED SYSTEM (ONLY COOLING) | INVERTER BASED SYSTEM (COOLING & HEATING) | |
INSTALLED PRICE | 7.0 (Twice Installation) | 7.0 |
MAINTENANCE COST | 3.0 | 3.6 |
RUNNING COST | 7.4 | 3.2 |
LIFE CYCLE COST | 17.4 | 13.8 |